EFFECTS OF RECOMBINANT SALMON GROWTH-HORMONE ON HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED MALE FUNDULUS-HETEROCLITUS

1. Recombinant salmon growth hormone at doses of 0.8 and 2.1 mu g/g si gnificantly enhanced linear growth in hypophysectomized male killifish , Fundulus heteroclitus, over that of controls and a significant regre ssion was found between growth and the logarithm of dose. 2. Bovine gr owth hormone elicited significant growth enhancement at all three dosa ges tested (1, 4 and 10 mu g/g) and a significant log/dose relationshi p was also observed. 3. Observations on the relative weight of the gon ads indicate that whole salmon pituitary extract (25 mu g/g) possesses strong gonadotropic activity and that both bGH and rsGH had smaller b ut significant effects on the gonads. 4. It is suggested that growth h ormone may play a subsidiary synergistic role to other pituitary hormo nes in gonadal development.